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LP
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EK 001LP
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"In just two hours we decode six one-trick musicians and reconstruct them musically. This is achieved on the following equipment: four record players, one analogue multichannel sound mixer, a PowerBook and basic sample editing software (alternatively, a hardware sampler), a simple drum machine (hard- or software) preferably stocked with sounds from the Roland TR series, a transistor radio, a mobile phone, and some vinyl discs. The recording is made in one take with no overdubs using a monaural mike and DAT recorder. The players are exchangeable. The names of the musicians that 'are played' do not stand for actual people, but rather for musical phenomena and the interpretations that go along with them especially within the prevalent 'crossover' discourse between music and the fine arts. Three seconds of romantic piano music (Chopin) are sampled with a common hardware or software sampler. The excerpt is played repeatedly; subtle changes are effected by using functions such as time stretching, pitch shifting and scrolling. Now and then the input level of the mixer is cranked up to give an abrupt distortion. Transgender Ambient. Four *****Plays records are played simultaneously and manipulated now and then. What is 'played' here is the 'mood' of the individual records. Digital Reference Pop. Using a carpet cutter, cuts and notches are put in the lockgroove of a vinyl disc. On playing the record, the jumping needle creates 'scratch loops'. Another such loop is put in a record of soul music. Then a drum machine with 133 bpm is mixed in: first a straight bass drum on the first and third beat of the 4/4 time; after some minutes a hi-hat is added on the off-beat. Minimal Techno with a socio-cultural connotation. Garbled frequencies from the radio's AM band, a resonating drone of sine waves. Whenever necessary the tuning knob is adjusted. Mobile phone signals coming from the next room heighten the atmosphere. Industrial Ambient. An electro-acoustic, breakbeat, hiphop, and dub record are played simultaneously. From a fifth source (the PowerBook's CD player) we add the voice of William S. Burroughs. Illbient. A sine wave is produced at regular intervals with slightly altered pitch. The wave is played with sharp attack so as to obtain a strong percussive effect. Design Techno, or Clicks & Cuts."
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